GENERAL LANCE L. SMITH Gen. Lance L. Smith is Commander, U.S. Joint Forces Command, and NATO Supreme Allied Commander for Transformation, Norfolk, Va. As Commander, U.S. Joint Forces Command, he is responsible for maximizing present and future military capabilities of the United States by leading the transformation of joint forces in the areas of joint training, joint interoperability, and joint innovation and experimentation. As Combatant Command Authority for Air Combat Command, Fleet Forces Command, U.S. Army Forces Command and Marine Forces Command he holds operational control over almost 1.19 million U.S. military forces in his role as the force provider to the other combatant commanders. As Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, General Smith leads the transformation of NATO's military structures, forces, capabilities and doctrines to improve interoperability and military effectiveness of the Alliance and its partner nations. He also leads individual NATO training development and, in collaboration with Supreme Allied Commander Operations, executes training programs for Coalition forces deploying to Afghanistan, Iraq and Kosovo. A native of Virginia and a graduate of Virginia Tech, the general entered the Air Force in 1970 after completing Officer Training School. He has more than 13 years in command during war and peace. He commanded two fighter wings and led two air expeditionary force deployments to Southwest Asia: AEF III and the 4th Air Expeditionary Wing. He served as the Commander of 7th Air Force, Pacific Air Forces; Air Component Commander, ROK and U.S. Combined Forces Command Korea; and Deputy Commander U.S. Forces Korea. The general also served two tours at the Pentagon and was Commandant of the NATO School at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, Commandant of the Air War College and Commander of the Air Force Doctrine Center. Prior to his current assignment, he was Deputy Commander, U.S. Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. General Smith flew more than 165 combat missions in Southeast and Southwest Asia in the A-1 Skyraider and the F-15E Strike Eagle. A command pilot, he has more than 3,000 hours in the T-33, T-37, T-38, A-1, A-7, A-10, F-111F, F-15E and F-16. EDUCATION 1969 Bachelor of Arts degree in business management, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg 1978 Master of Arts degree in business management, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant 1982 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. 1990 Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pa. 1994 Advanced Executive Program, J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill. ASSIGNMENTS 1. June 1970 - June 1971, student, undergraduate pilot training, Columbus AFB, Miss. 2. June 1971 - September 1971, A-1 combat crew training, Hurlburt Field, Fla. 3. October 1971 - October 1972, A-1 pilot, 1st Special Operations Squadron, Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai AFB, Thailand 4. October 1972 - July 1973, instructor pilot training, Randolph AFB, Texas 5. July 1973 - September 1977, instructor pilot and chief, check section, 96th Flying Training Squadron, Williams AFB, Ariz. 6. September 1977 - January 1979, staff officer, Air Staff Training Program, Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. 7. January 1979 - August 1981, student, A-7 Corsair conversion training, A-7D aircraft commander, flight commander and assistant operations officer, 76th Tactical Fighter Squadron, England AFB, La. 8. August 1981 - June 1982, student, Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 9. June 1982 - July 1986, Air Staff officer, Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations; Project Checkmate analyst for interdiction, Europe and Southwest Asia; Air Force team chief, Joint Assessment and Initiative Office, and executive officer to the Air Force Director of Operations, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. 10. July 1986 - July 1989, Chief of Safety, later, Assistant Deputy Commander for Operations, 354th Tactical Fighter Wing, Myrtle Beach AFB, S.C. 11. July 1989 - June 1990, student, Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pa. 12. June 1990 - August 1992, Commandant, NATO School, SHAPE, Oberammergau, Germany 13. August 1992 - September 1993, Vice Commander, later, Commander, 27th Fighter Wing, Cannon AFB, N.M. 14. September 1993 - June 1995, Assistant Director of Operations, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Va. 15. June 1995 - July 1997, Commander, 4th Fighter Wing, Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C. 16. July 1997 - August 1998, Vice Commander, 7th Air Force and U.S. Air Forces Korea, and Chief of Staff, Combined Republic of Korea and U.S. Air Component Command, Osan Air Base, South Korea 17. September 1998 - December 1999, Commandant, Air War College, and Vice Commander, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 18. December 1999 - November 2001, Commander, Air Force Doctrine Center, Maxwell AFB, Ala. 19. November 2001 - October 2003, Deputy Commander, United Nations Command; Deputy Commander, U.S. Forces Korea; Commander, Air Component Command, Republic of Korea and U.S. Combined Forces Command; and Commander, 7th Air Force, Pacific Air Forces, Osan AB, South Korea 20. October 2003 - November 2005, Deputy Commander, U.S. Central Command, MacDill AFB, Fla. 21. November 2005 - present, Commander, U.S. Joint Forces Command, and NATO Supreme Allied Commander for Transformation, Norfolk, Va. FLIGHT INFORMATION Rating: Command pilot Flight hours: More than 3,000 Aircraft flown: T-33, T-37, T-38, A-1, A-7, A-10, F-111F, F-15E and F-16 MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS Defense Distinguished Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters Distinguished Service Medal Silver Star with two oak leaf clusters Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster Distinguished Flying Cross with two oak leaf clusters Purple Heart Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters Air Medal with one silver and four bronze oak leaf clusters Aerial Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster Air Force Commendation Medal Army Commendation Medal Combat Readiness Medal National Defense Service Medal with two bronze stars Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with bronze star Vietnam Service Medal with three bronze stars Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Korea Defense Service Medal Armed Forces Service Medal Humanitarian Service Medal Air and Space Campaign Medal Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal NATO Meritorious Service Medal Canadian Meritorious Service Cross, Military Division Honor Cross of the Bundeswehr Medal (Republic of Germany) Order of National Security Merit Gukseon Medal (Republic of Korea) Order of National Security Merit Cheonsu Medal (Republic of Korea) Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm Commemorative Medal of the Minister of Defence (Slovak Republic) EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION Second Lieutenant May 18, 1970 First Lieutenant Nov. 11, 1971 Captain Oct. 18, 1973 Major Dec. 4, 1978 Lieutenant Colonel Feb. 1, 1982 Colonel July 1, 1989 Brigadier General July 1, 1995 Major General April 1, 1998 Lieutenant General Jan. 1, 2002 General Nov. 7, 2005 (Current as of December 2007)